Redlands Liberal Democrats

Win for residents as Lib Dems force Labour to 'stump up' with tree cash

 
You may recall our local campaign to highlight the loss of many trees in Redlands and beyond. My redoubtable colleague Glenn Goodall has been raising this issue with Reading Borough Council since he was first elected as a councillor back in 2008 - bringing a motion to Council on trees in Reading and most recently successfull campaigning with residents to get 8 trees replaced on Alexandra Road. The picture of me above was taken a couple of weeks ago on Alexandra Road with one happy resident. I attended a ward meeting a few weeks ago in which residents expressed anger and frustration at the failure of Labour-run Reading Borough Council to replant trees that were felled. Well, surprise, surprise with local elections approaching it appears the Labour-run Council has heeded Lib Dem calls and is pledging today to invest £100,000 over the next two years to replace lost trees in Reading. Well whatever the reason for Labour's last minute conversion to our campaign this is fantastic news for residents in Redlands and elsewhere in Reading where trees have been lost. Congratulations to Glenn and local residents for forcing Labour to stump up!

Home win!

Great news today - after I blogged a few weeks about our campaign to bring long-term empty property 35 Christchurch Road into use I have been contacted by two people who have told me they have recently signed tenancy contracts and along with 8 others they are set to move into this property later this year. I have checked this info out with the empty homes officer at Reading Borough Council and fingers crossed it looks to be going ahead. I'm sure residents for miles around will welcome the return of this beautiful, historic building back into use. With 6,000 people on the housing waiting list and huge pressure to develop new housing in Reading it is vital that we make full use of existing resources. I have worked hard to get the issue of empty homes in Reading on to the local political agenda, and more recently to keep it there. I am delighted that Nick Clegg and Sarah Teather have built tackling empty homes into our General Election manifesto. I hope that the landlord will work hard with his new tenants to keep it in good shape so that it can be an asset to the Christchurch Road/Kendrick streetscape rather than the eyesore it has been for so long.

Redlands Parking schemes!

(Click on the schemes to see them as full size)

Allcroft road

Thames Valley Police have made written representation to the council with regards to following a collision at this junction, where visibility for vehicles turning out of Whitby Drive, is obscured by parked vehicles on Allcroft Road. Residents on Lancaster Road have raised similar concerns with us about lack of visibility at this junction.

As unrestricted parking only occurs on the southern side due to a no waiting Mon-Sat 8am- 630pm on the northern side. It was recommended by TVP to stagger the unrestricted parking on both sides of the carriageway, however due to the number of dropped kerbs and driveways on the northern side, this is impractical. In addition it was recommended to implement a no waiting restriction at the rear of Hillside Court at the emergency access. This currently has a small access protection marking that does not allow vehicles to pull into. Through implementing a no waiting restriction a further ‘passing place’ can be created and the integrity of the emergency access gate can be maintained.

Cadugan Place

A number of residents within Cadugan Place, have expressed concern that significant numbers of non –residents park within Cadugan Place, mainly during the daytime, which cause difficulties for them when entering and exiting their driveways. They are also concerned that access for larger delivery vehicles and emergency service vehicles is compromised.

The scheme would (also see the diagram below):
•    Introduce “No Waiting Mon-Fri 8am-5pm” on both sides of Cadugan Place
•    Introduce “limited waiting to 2 hours, no return within 2 hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm” on the northwest end turning head
•    Introduce “No Waiting At Any Time” around the turning head.

Elmhurst road

Several residents of Elmhurst road have spoken to us, as your ward councillors, and the council about their concerns over the number of cars parked in the road which inhibits traffic flow.

Transport officers for the council have investigated the issues and observed that vehicles are parked on either side of the carriageway which narrows the width of the carriageway down to ‘one lane’ thus resulting in queuing vehicles and disruption to traffic flow, often creating a ‘stand off’ between vehicles as one has to reverse the full length of the road, to allow the oncoming vehicles to pass.
They believe that the introduction of further waiting restrictions, especially during the day, when the problem is at its worse will help to solve the problem in Elmhurst Road, however there is a concern that vehicles that park here will overspill to surrounding streets.

They recommended that:
•    A no waiting Mon-Fri 9am-5pm be created on alternate sides of the road to ensure safe visibility for oncoming vehicles and by default create gaps for vehicles to pass more easily.

Lydford Road

Following last year’s Council plans to put double yellow lines down the entirety of Lydford road, we have been in consultation with Officers.

RBC officers have now come up with the following scheme:
•    Introducing a “No Waiting At Any Time” around Lydford roads junction with Donnington Gardens and Hatherley Road. This is to aid turning at the top of these congested roads.
•    It also includes “No Waiting Mon-Fri 8am-5pm” on both sides between the posts outside Redlands Primary School and its junction with Foxhill Road. This is so that school bound traffic has an ‘escape route’ and retains resident’s ability to use Lydford road as overspill parking. Please see drawing below:
•    Access protection marks to be drawn at the western end of Lydford road to stop inconsiderate parking from blocking residents in.

Upper Redlands Road and Eastern Avenue

A number of your neighbours have raised concerns with Reading Borough Council and ourselves about the amount of parking on Upper Redlands Road and its effects on traffic flow and visibility. Officers visited the area and identified problems as follows:

1)    Parking on both sides of the carriageway between Eastern Avenue/Whiteknights Road side is unrestricted and can cause queuing back to these roads. The majority of residential dwellings within this area do not have access to off street parking, so eliminating on street parking completely would not be practical, however existing parking arrangements could be changed to allow for more ‘passing places’ to speed up traffic flow and eliminate queuing

2)    Visibility is poor for vehicles exiting St Josephs School because of parked vehicles parked between their entrance and Alexandra Road. This parking is mainly by users of the university. There are no school keep clear markings associated with the school at this location. The school allows pick up/drop offs on site which eliminates the need for parents to use Upper Redlands Road.

It is recommended to extend the existing no waiting at any time restrictions on the northern side of Upper Redlands Road outside St Josephs School

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The Council’s Highways team are now consulting residents about these plans. While we support the need to improve road safety and access we need to make sure that these proposals do not cause problems for residents.

We are keen to hear your views and whether you think these changes would improve matters or not.
Should anyone wish to support or formally object any of the proposals they must do so in writing to C Brookes, Head of Legal Services, Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre, RG1 7AE.  You can also email Mr Brooks: Chris.Brooks@reading.gov.uk

It would be helpful if residents could copy me into any comments they send into the Council: glenn_goodall@hotmail.com

Please be aware that objections and any comments on the proposals must be received by 19 April 2009 to be taken into account.

Proposals will only be taken forward if they are supported by the majority of local residents.

Update: New Road 'Access only' signs

You may remember that in November last year the Council agreed, following pressure from me and local residents, to put up 'Access Only' signs on New road. At the time I was told that these could be installed by April 2010, following a consultation.

Well, we are still waiting for the consultation, and I have now been told the following from officers:

"The access only consultation documentation is currently being written up.  Statutory consultation will be carried out shortly subject to officer checks and legal processes.  The legal advert will be copied to yourself at commencement of the consultation period to ensure that you are fully informed."

So we continue to wait...

Redlands hit by new graffiti outbreak

It appears that Redlands ward has been hit by graffiti taggers again. This environmental degradation really gets residents down, as you can imagine and we are determined to ensure the Council stays on top of the problem. Out talking to residents around Erleigh Road yesterday I came across a lot tags - on Erleigh Road itself there has been an outbreak of tagging in red paint - including this road sign on Denmark Road:

A few weeks ago I also reported this tag (below on Hatherley Road):

A short walk up London Road revealed this tag:

 I also noticed graffiti on Fatherson Road. I have reported these tags and more like them to Reading Borough Council's Streetcare team so that they can be logged on the Thames Valley Police database and removed as soon as possible. A couple of years ago after pressure from the local Lib Dems the Council carried out a 'Big Graffiti Clean Up' campaign to remove graffiti tags from local streets. My colleague Glenn Goodall reported back in January another graffiti outbreak in our area. In February one of the graffiti taggers responsible for 'PERSIA' 'OMG' tags in Redlands was given a five year ASBO .

Last year I raised issues about what the Council was doing to keep this problem under control . Glenn and I met officers in Streetcare to calll for more action. It sounds like we might need to do so again. An ongoing issue with residents is the high charges imposed on them for graffiti removal on private property by the Labour-run Council. I had an email from one constituent who was none to happy about the high charges - she is a pensioner on a fixed income who is already facing a £2,000 Council Tax bill! Not good. The cost to the Council in cleaning up graffiti each year is estimated to be around £150,000. I do think the Council needs to look at ways of diverting taggers from residentital areas - perhaps via a graffiti wall. My Lib Dem colleagues have raised this with RBC but so far officers have not been keen on the idea. In the meantime, please help us in our campaign to keep local streets free of graffiti - please let us know of any problem areas and report tags to the Council using this online form.

Empty home on Christchurch Road - progress at last?

Over on my other blog I have given a roundup on activity by RBC officers to bring hundreds of Reading's empty homes back into use. This important work is only happening because of the active campaign my Lib Dem colleagues and I have led locally on this issue which led to strategy and resources being allocated to this issue. In Redlands, one of the most prominent empty homes is the beautiful house on the corner of Christchurch Road and Kendrick Road. I have been nagging officers for years to work with the owner of this property to bring it back into use. I heard today that internal work is well underway with electricians, carpenters and decorators on site. It is rumoured that this property is due to be let out in the Summer which is good news (but we'll believe it when we see it!) We have raised concerns with officers about the state of the site and they regularly remind the owner of his responsibilities.

Redlands residents raise tree loss fears

This evening I attended a public consultation meeting to gauge public views towards the Council's  developing tree strategy which was held at St Joseph's Convent School in Upper Redlands Road. The meeting was organised by the Redlands GLOBE group which campaigns locally on environmental issues and a good number of residents turned out. This gives you an inkling as to how important the street environment and trees in particular are to local residents in our community. Over the past few years a large number of trees in streets around Redlands - this loss has been widely felt - particularly in roads off Erleigh Road. Residents from Alexandra Road, Carnarvon Road, Eastern Avenue and Donnington Road pressed council officers for reassurances that felled trees would be replaced. Officers were unable to give residents the reassurances they sought, unsurprisingly - so much depends on what money is available in the Budget. It was clear that residents see spending money on replacement trees as an investment - I am minded to agree. Recently 8 lime trees were replanted on Alexandra Road - this follows a local campaign by residents and my colleague Glenn Goodall.

We were shown a map of Reading's trees and 'green corridors' during the meeting - central Reading and South Reading has some of the lowest numbers of street trees in the Borough (around 10% canopy coverage) compared to other areas in the Borough. Ideas were explored including involving more private partners in tree funding and ways to get the community more involved in planting and caring for street trees. Residents from the densely-populated streets around Erleigh Road were keen to see more trees planted in their areas - officers said that new highway regulations (and parking pressures) made this quite difficult. Many parts of our ward could do with more trees - residents wanted to see replacing trees that had been felled by RBC as the top priority. I don't blame them. Residents said they were fed up with tree stumps in and around Erleigh Road being left for years - this is something Glenn has been raising with the Council for some time.

In the  Lib Dems we have been raising the need to replace street trees in Redlands for many years and we are pleased that at long last the Labour-run Council is finally bringing forward a tree strategy. However, years of inaction by Labour has meant many trees have been lost from our streets which is a real shame and damages our environment. As one resident pointed out trees have a part to play in reducing carbon emissions - cutting them down and not replacing them is a short term solution.l

With budgets likely to be under severe pressure in the coming years we will need to find new ways to fund trees on our streets. Money from the private sector is one option as is doing more to get new trees funded out of Section 106 linked to new development. Another major challenge we face in Reading is the resistance of utility companies and the highways department to new trees being planted. This is because tree roots can interfere with pipes and cables. The other issues is the pressure for parking spaces on our roads which with many residents is their top priority (!) Other towns and cities manage to sustain street trees - Reading Borough Council must get better at it in the future for the sake of our local environment.

Please take part in the public consultation on the draft tree strategy and help us campaign for more street trees in Redlands. Comments can be submitted online via the Council's website and in writing. Get your comments in by 2 April - please also email us your views so we are aware of your concerns and so we can speak up for more trees in Redlands.

Redlands March Planning Update

46 Redlands Road Planning Application - Appeal

Last year I led a local campaign against plans to redevelop 46 Redlands Road into 10 flats which was well supported by local residents. You will recall that last December Members voted unanimously to reject the proposal on the grounds that if developed it could have a detrimental impact on the character of the immediate area and the three Conservation Areas it lies adjacent to. I’m sorry to have to report (and you may already be aware) that an Appeal has been received by Reading Borough Council’s Planning Department. The appeal is on the grounds that ‘the proposed building will not harm the Allcroft Road streetscene or nearby conservation areas and was recommended for approval by the planning officer.’  The deadline for comments is 21 Apri. All original objections have been sent on to the PINS (Planning Inspectorate) by RBC but the deadline allows additional comments to be made if residents wish to do so. At this stage my advice would be that it is probably not necessary for residents to write in. RBC planning officers will be submitting a statement and a site visit will be arranged in due course. It will take several months for the Planning Inspector to report back. We are keeping our fingers crossed he backs residents and councillors who raised a large number of concerns about this plan.

117 Kendrick Road – HMO application
Plans that were withdrawn last year following a large number of complaints from councillors and residents have been resubmitted for the conversion of 117 Kendrick Road from a hotel back into residential accommodation (House in Multiple Occupation) (Resubmission of 09/01205/FUL). We are currently trying to get more information about the details from RBC about this application and we will be in touch when we have it.

Redevelopment of Mansfield Hall (Kendrick Road)
A number of residents have contacted us with concerns about the redevelopment of Mansfield Hall on Kendrick Road after rather worrying hoardings marked 'demolition' went up. We joined Katesgrove Lib Dem councillors in opposing this plan last year as we feared the impact it would have on residents and the Conservation area. Sadly despite being unanimously rejected by the RBC Planning Committee the Planning Inspector (based in Bristol!) supported the planning appeal so the development is going ahead.

As ever, if there is anything we can do to help as your local councillors please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Listening to residents on Bede Walk (and taking action)

Last month I knocked on doors on Bede Walk as part of our regular effort to keep in touch with constituents all year round. We have spent a lot of time helping residents in this area since 2006 as they tended to be overlooked by the Labour Council. This extended to me getting them a new road sign as before it was difficult for people making deliveries to find them! When I spoke to them last month residents complained about a number of issues and expressed their general dissatisfaction with the way that Labour is running the Council in Reading.I took up the issues residents raised with me directly with the Council and have summarised them briefly below:

Dog fouling

Dog fouling is one of the top issues of concern on the Walk (and across South Reading) and it’s something my colleagues and I have been raising with Reading Borough Council for a couple of years now, trying to get action taken to keep footpaths clean. I wrote to RBC to request a fence to protect residents’ gardens and to request a Dog Control Order (DCO) be brought in to cover the estate – this would give RBC the power to issue fixed penalty notices. DCOs are orders that the Labour government gave councils under the Clean Neighbourhoods Act 2005 (replacing earlier legislation) Labour-run has so far not brought in any orders. RBC officers are investigating whether or not this can be done. I have been told that the Council cannot afford to pay for fencing.

Fence next to Reading Girls School

The combination of this unsightly, broken down fence and overgrown trees has been a bugbear for local residents for many years. Several residents complained to me about this and I am very frustrated as I have been raising this issue with the School’s officers for about three years.I have written to the School once again seeking assurance that action will be taken to sort the fence out. I have received this response from Charles Ainslie at the School via Peter Kayes - former Labour councillor for Redlands and Governor at the School who has helped to push this forward:
“The fence we can’t do anything about until the new budget. It will be replaced with a chain link unfortunately as we can’t afford the weld mesh.
The litter is on a schedule with our litter picker to do once a week. I will make sure it is being done. However it is a constant battle.”

Garage Area
I noticed on my recent visit to the walk that a number of cobble stones have been removed as part of a pattern of anti-social behaviour over a period of months. I have written to RBC officers about this and the issue is now being investigated by the Garage Officer. I also reported a large amount of bulky waste that had been dumped behind the garage area to the Council for removal. We have campaigned over the past couple of years to get repairs to the alley gates to reduce break-ins and also to get tougher action taken against residents who dump rubbish.

Useful numbers

• If you have any concerns about your property, dog-fouling, fly-tipping the alley-way or garage area please contact Neighbourhood Officer Ashley Blackwood on 0118 939 0161
• Please help us keep your area clean and green please report any dumped rubbish or litter to Streetcare on (freephone) 0800 626 540.
• Crime and anti-social behaviour – the only way we can get action taken and more Police presence is to report any issues to Thames Valley Police. You can call the Police free 24 hours a day on 0845 8 505 505.

Because many residents on the Walk do not have access to the internet I will be writing to them about the action we have taken as well. If you live there and have any concerns you wish to raise with us - please get in touch!

Upper Redlands Road - action to protect highway and verges

Last month I blogged about damage to verges and problems on Upper Redlands Road connected with the redevelopment of the University's Halls. I raised this with the Council and via the University's Community Relations Manager and as a result a site visit was arrangd.The issue also cropped up at the recent Redlands & University Neighbourhood Action Group annual public meeting via a resident from Avebury Square .

Today I received this response from RBC:

'I met with Site Agent on Friday afternoon and walked front of site in Upper Redlands Road and there is not an issue with sweeping they employ a mechanical sweeper every other day and the road was fine apart from site dust in channels and this would have been swept over weekend. The only verges are further down Upper Redlands Road toward Redlands Road in which a heavy vehicle mounted this verge weeks ago this was not associated with the site works to my knowledge and I have requested Parks to repair so I will chase. I am monitoring this road as is RBC's Clerk of Works and we are in direct contact with the site should there be an issue.'

If you notice any further problems on Upper Redlands Road please get in touch with me and I will get in touch with the Council again.